bleak

1
[ bleek ]
See synonyms for bleak on Thesaurus.com
adjective,bleak·er, bleak·est.
  1. bare, desolate, and often windswept: a bleak plain.

  2. cold and piercing; raw: a bleak wind.

  1. without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary: a bleak future.

Origin of bleak

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bleke “pale,” blend of variants bleche (Old English blǣc ) and blake (Old English blāc ); both cognate with Old Norse bleikr, German bleich; akin to bleach

synonym study For bleak

3. See austere.

Other words from bleak

  • bleakish, adjective
  • bleakly, adverb
  • bleakness, noun

Other definitions for bleak (2 of 2)

bleak2
[ bleek ]

noun
  1. a European freshwater fish, Alburnus alburnus, having scales with a silvery pigment that is used in the production of artificial pearls.

Origin of bleak

2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bleke, noun use of bleke “pale”; see bleak1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for bleak (1 of 2)

bleak1

/ (bliːk) /


adjective
  1. exposed and barren; desolate

  2. cold and raw

  1. offering little hope or excitement; dismal: a bleak future

Origin of bleak

1
Old English blāc bright, pale; related to Old Norse bleikr white, Old High German bleih pale

Derived forms of bleak

  • bleakly, adverb
  • bleakness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for bleak (2 of 2)

bleak2

/ (bliːk) /


noun
  1. any slender silvery European cyprinid fish of the genus Alburnus, esp A. lucidus, occurring in slow-flowing rivers

Origin of bleak

2
C15: probably from Old Norse bleikja white colour; related to Old High German bleiche bleach

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012